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A hard Brexit would be a “calamity” for the UK and jeopardise the much-needed expansion of Heathrow Airport, the chairman of the National Infrastructure Commission has warned.
“If we were to go for a hard Brexit which severs Britain’s trading ties with the continent I think we could be heading for a calamity as a country,” he said.
“It’s important that we have a Brexit that maintains Britain’s trading ties with the continent, and that probably requires a long transition period, so we can get a fully fledged trade treaty.
“These decisions on Brexit have a crucial bearing on infrastructure. Business will not invest for the long term if they think Britain is going down the tube. It’s as simple as that. The projects that will be most affected will be those that require immediate private sector investment – starting with Heathrow.”
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After years of wrangling, the Government took the decision in principle to expand the UK’s busiest airport in October last year. However, it still needs to be formally approved by MPs as part of a policy statement due to be made later this year.
No mention of the expansion was made in the Queen’s Speech last week and Lord Adonis said the hung parliament could lead to further delays and inaction.
“There is a real danger that no decisions come forward and we end up as a country seriously regretting yet another period of dither and delay on major infrastructure decisions,” he said.
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